Month: February 2015

Are you sending out one job application after another, but not hearing back? A lackluster resume may be the culprit. As you’ve probably already heard, you’ve got about six seconds to catch someone’s eye (or be passed over), so having a resume that packs a punch and tells a great story quickly is key.

Not sure how to do it? My advice for getting beyond the first glance is this: SEO yourself.

While you probably know the term SEO, you may not know what it means (or how it applies to your resume). SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it involves techniques to make a website appealing to search engine algorithms—or, in other words, get more love from Google. Top websites regularly consider how to make sure they’re noticed by the big search engines—and when it comes to your resume, stealing a few techniques from the SEO playbook can catapult you to the top of the heap.

Here are five tricks from the internet marketing world that’ll get you past the initial glance and into the running for the position you want.

1. Use Relevant KeywordsA website can have great information, but if it doesn’t include the phrases a searcher would look for, it won’t be found. Similarly, your resume should include terms that align with those recruiters and employers use.If your prospective employers are using an applicant tracking system (ATS), keywords can get you past the machine and in front of human eyes. Today’s sophisticated ATS engines search not only for keywords, but also scan for appropriate and relevant context (i.e., listing “Adobe Photoshop” as a technical skill, a language skill, and under each of your prior roles won’t trick the system).But even if your prospective employer isn’t using an ATS, including clear, relevant keywords increases the odds that your skills will jump off the page to someone screening with limited time.To decide which keywords will be most attractive, review job postings and the LinkedIn profiles of people in your desired role. Check out job sites like The Muse, Indeed, and Dice to skim postings in your field and see which descriptive terms overlap. Switching fields? Check out professional journals relevant to your field to see what language is trending and how to couch yourself in the most appropriate terms.

Once you target the best keywords, be sure to use them (when appropriate) in your current and prior job descriptions, as well as in your roster of skills.

3. Include Relevant Hyperlinks

On the web, relevant hyperlinks to credible sources improve your readability and page rank within search engines. On a resume? Relevant hyperlinks can provide hiring managers evidence that you’re the best candidate for the job.

Consider adding links to your personal website, articles you’ve written in industry journals or publications, or sites that showcase your work. If you’re in a creative field, a link to your portfolio, to apps you’ve developed, or to articles you’ve penned can be very persuasive. For tech job seekers, including links to a video resume, online CV, or sites you’ve built are nice, tech-savvy touches.

However, don’t insert hyperlinks just for the sake of doing so. Make sure all links are relevant, put you in a good light, and (very importantly!) do not go to dead pages.

Tracey ParsonsThe prospect of bringing someone onto the team is one that is exciting and full of possibility. I love talking with candidates. I enjoy learning about them and their passions, their aspirations. Hiring should be something that is exciting and fun. The problem is it remains a process and processes are generally less fun and exciting. But, I can say that there are some things that candidate’s do that truly make the process more fun and exciting.So, what are some things hiring managers love seeing from a job seeker? Here are the six things that a candidate can do that make me want to say, “You’re Hired!”

1. Following the instructions

It is refreshing when a candidate does exactly what we ask when applying for a position. At my company, we require you to join our database. We only use our own tool to identify talent for our open positions. We don’t take resumes. We don’t believe them. But, that’s our requirement. So, when people do what we’ve asked, we are happy. We look at their work samples and try to find the best hire based on what they’ve done.On the flip side, when people send me a resume… I get really frustrated. It makes me unhappy. I feel it ignores what we are trying to do and that makes me feel like the candidate doesn’t respect what we are trying to do. So, the candidate that simply follows the directions is one that brings me delight.

5. Asking good questions

The interview and its precursor communications should help you be able to make a good decision on each step in the process. You should be curious about our company, its trajectory, my management style and the team. You need to ask good questions to help yourself make a well-inform decision. When you ask good questions, I can tell you are curious and that you are thoughtful. These are my top two desired skills.See all 6 things and the complete Careerealism article

Remember that job application you filled out about three weeks ago? You probably have not gotten a call back about it.Why?Because chances are, your application was not reviewed by a real person. Today, companies large and small are using more technology, particularly applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen resumes – and up to 75% of submitted applications are never read by a human. In recruiting, this process is often called “The Resume Black Hole.”When you send your application in, an ATS looks it over, and tries to match you up with what the company wants in an employee. The applicants are then ranked based on the criteria the program is looking for. When someone else seems to have better credentials, your application goes to the back of the line –

So what can you do to get your application seen?

1. Keep Your Resume Simple

Do not use fancy borders, shading, or fonts. It is also unwise to use pictures, or fancy arrows, as they can confuse the program. It is best to use a simple font, with simple bullet points listing your job-related achievements. Acceptable fonts include Arial, Tahoma, Impact, Geogia, Courier, Lucinda, and Trebuchet. Save a more interesting-looking resume for your actual interview. Remember, a program will not appreciate it as much as a real manager might.

2. Use Keywords From the Job Description

If there is any chance the employer is using an ATS, keep your resume basic; the fewer lines, tables and design images the better. This way, your resume will jump out at the program and may stand out when a living, breathing human being finally reviews your resume. Also take care not to bury your keywords in big blocks of text and, of course, don’t “hide” them by whiting them out.See all 7 steps and the complete article

If you are tired of the job search rat race, then stop doing what you are doing. While you are at it, dismiss all the assumptions you’ve made about how jobs get filled. People hire people, not résumés. Let’s debunk your beliefs and myths associated with job searching:1) MYTH: You will find your next job by applying online. You may believe that if you apply to enough jobs, you’ll eventually beat the odds and land one. While applying to jobs may make you feel productive, a recent CareerXroads survey shows that only 15 percent of positions were filled through job boards. Most jobs are either filled internally or through referrals. When you spend all your time and energy scoping out jobs and applying, you’re hurting your chances.So what else should you be doing? Try a combination of things. Successful job seekers use a variety of tactics, such as contacting industry-specific recruiting agencies or third-party recruiters, meeting one-on-one with past colleagues, attending professional association meetings, volunteering and meeting new people every day. If this sounds daunting or almost impossible, remember: More than 70 percent of people land jobs through networking. 2) MYTH: You should expect to hear a response soon after you apply. After you have taken time to research a company, modify your résumé and go through the application process, you assume you’ll hear something. The reality is you may not hear back from the company. Expect this to be the norm and take proactive steps. Plan to follow up with someone in human resources after you have submitted your application. Ask what the time frame is for filling the job, and then ask if your application was received. Always end every conversation by asking when you should follow up next and with whom. The really eager job seekers will make that call the same day the application is submitted. The less assertive job seekers wait about a week. See all 8 myths and the complete USNews article

A waste of time?

In 2002, I was on the job search in Israel a few months after leaving my job at Amazon.com in France.I had just started looking for a programming-related job in e-commerce when I heard about a large upcoming tech job fair in the Tel Aviv area. I was a bit skeptical about going but I put it on my calendar.Living in Jerusalem at the time, I later had to commute for over 90 minutes just to get to the fair.Once registered and inside, I was handed a large bag of industry magazines and a map of the convention space, which I used to see if there were any interesting companies to apply to.Armed with my resume, I spent the next 30-40 minutes walking around. I specifically remember giving out less than 10 copies of my resume in all and only having real conversations with two companies’ HR rep.s.I then had a return commute of over 90 minutes to get home, meaning that I spent much more time on the bus that day that actually progressing my job search at the fair.I felt like the fair had been a waste of time, but the truth was that I had wasted my time at the fair.If I had known what I could accomplish at the fair, I would have had a more fruitful event.Here’s why.

25 Reasons to Go To Job Fairs, Regardless of Age

2) Kickstart a dormant job searchSometimes habit and routine are not the best thing. Going to a job fair should be a welcome change of pace.4) Meet company representatives in a less-formal settingThere’s a big difference between the atmosphere of a job fair and sitting across someone in an office. Company rep.s come with that in mind, and you need to take advantage.5) Practice your elevator pitchJust like the 30 seconds you might have to impress someone in an elevator ride, your chance to talk with a company rep. might be very short if there are a lot of people in line behind you at the fair, so you need to impress quickly.13) Learn how industry players present themselvesCritical for students and first-time job seekers. This might be your first introduction to certain terms, expressions, techniques and more.In the case of university job fairs, company recruiters want exposure to a new generation of potential candidates who many have never heard of them before.See all 25 reasons and the complete article

So you’ve finally made the important decision to change careers. You have a killer resume and an impressive set of skills to boot. But if you want to land your next dream job, you are going to have to find it first.Chances are most of the competition you’re going up against have access to the same search engines and LinkedIn tools you have, so to connect with recruiters, you’ll need to use some lesser known job search tactics.

To help stand out in your search, here are five ways to find your next dream job you may not have thought to try before:

2. Check out career paths of previous employees

Sometimes it’s hard finding your dream job if you haven’t yet had the dream. If you are short on ideas of companies that are hiring for your skillset, leverage LinkedIn. Rather than simply searching through its database for “marketing jobs” or “accounting,” look up specific people who landed roles at your ideal employer.For example, if you are looking for work as a government consultant, use LinkedIn’s “People who used to work at” feature to find people who used to work in your target role at top consultant firms like Booz-Allen Hamilton or EY, and then see what roles they moved to throughout their career. This not only gives you new leads on employers, but it also provides insight as to what types of candidate profiles impress your ideal employers.

For an added edge, try reaching out to those past employees for insight into the company culture, advice on landing an interview or even a warm introduction to their previous employer.

4. Join an association

Associations are a great way to leverage a team of outside resources for your job search. Associations typically have great tools like job boards, tradeshows, business articles, advanced training and other good resources to provide access to potential careers that you have never come across otherwise.The best part is there is an association for virtually every industry you can imagine. Find the one for you and you will be able to stay abreast of the trending news, best practices, cutting edge tech and other developments going on in your industry. If you’re an industry expert, sign up to speak at a panel or seminars. This can be an impressive resume booster to a recruiter.Perhaps the greatest advantage that associations offer, though, is a new network of professionals in your target industry. You will meet and grow relationships with leagues of talented individuals and help support each other with your career goals. (Of course, as with any great relationship, the more you give, the more you get back. Be sure to be a value in return!)